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Monday, January 31, 2011

Damn, that spelling just doesn't LOOK right in the title. Oh well. I apparently spelled it wrong in the caption. Made the caption as a real quickie, based on the visual of the picture. Pretty much just what I call a "rimshot" caption. Believe it or not, I think the eyes are really what makes this caption, as it tends to reinforce the plot line.

Some not-very-deep TG thoughts I've had over the past week

(1) I made this comment in a posting about a certain picture, and as to where it came from. The answer was already stated (Hannah Montana) and I thought my reply should be restated here, knowing that it is entirely possible that I stole the idea from someone else. I made a hypothetical discussion of the show between my daughter and I.

"So Sweetie, the idea of Hannah Montana is that everyone has 2 selves, one they show to the world, and one they keep hidden just for certain people. However, the show got it really mixed up. In general, its the hidden side of them that tends to dress up in wigs, sequins, lots of makeup and perform for strangers in clubs and bars. But that is a story for another time. Sleep well honey!"

(2) As part of the weekend "festivities" I went to a Renne Faire. I thought it sucked, but there were a few people there in drag. I didn't get to see the guys dressed in women's garb (the GF said I had missed them) but I did get to see a drag king, dressed up like a pirate. She did a good job, though the giveaway was that that beard just sort of ended about an inch before the hair line upwards, and the beard was WAY too uniform in length, looking more like an astro-turf lawn than an actual beard.

I think the face is probably the hardest part to work with when doing convincing drag for either sex. For Queens, getting rid of 5 o'clock stubble is a major concern, and for Kings, its hardening the facial features and making convincing facial hair. Most everything else can be concealed and covered more or less.

(3) While staying in the hotel, I was waiting to see all the sissy maids working, but alas nothing. You'd think that with all the stories and captions over the years, I'd have seen at least ONE sissy maid. I'm starting to think that perhaps all these situations are just made up from some peoples overactive imaginations!

I can see where people get such wonderful inspiration from hotels. I barely travel and rarely stay in hotels, but just being in one, I can understand why people use them in stories. There is a certain charm in being unknown and anonymous in a place where no one really knows you. Yet, you can still feel vulnerable, as you don't really know your way around the area, places to eat or have fun, and I can imagine its really easy to get taken advantage of.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Feel free to elaborate on any of the topics I mentioned above or talk about the caption as well. Since I was away, I didn't have time to do much in the way of planning a specific discussion. I should have a more formal topic for the next posting.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

This is the caption that Jenniger wanted me to talk about. Check it out first before reading the commentary below.

Two things stand out for me when discussing this caption specifically.

(1) The content itself is not smutty or dirty at all. Not one word you can’t say on broadcast TV, or commercial radio. The picture isn’t anything that would shock you in a standard magazine. The word Master doesn’t even really draw too much play, as technically this caption could be about wine, and Master could mean the person that is training an apprentice sommelier about the finer points of chardonnay

.

Its all about what our minds perceive. It’s all about the subtleties and innuendo. Everything is implied, and yes, everything you read into it is right there. We’ve always had this, and I think only recently has everything become so overt. Way back when, the raising of an eyebrow would mean so much more than “FUCK ME … NOW!” ever could.

I had a female friend take a class on the art of using a fan. Back in Courtesan days, the art of the flirt was in how the woman held the fan and displayed it. She could show many different moods and desires, just by a certain flick of the wrist. Its amazing what could be conveyed, and yes, I was turned on by how she could maneuver that seductive accessory. Watch the video, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry to see how it can be used to titillate.

With social networking and less face to face interaction, I wonder if we are losing some of the skills needed to keep the art of seduction going. All the signs are there if one could read them, but no one gave Joe Public a manual.

(2) The caption is TG-ish, but much more of a D/s type arrangement. There could be magic implied, or Jenniger could just be a mincing sissy. It wasn’t really my intention to choose one, as it wasn’t pertinent to the plot. Besides, this is a case where I can let the recipient and all the viewers decide for themselves how Jeremy got to the position he/she is in. Even in calling it a magic elixir, the reader gets a chance to decide if it is a potion to make him female forever, or as in my intent, a way to seal the servitude of a slave to her master. I consider this caption as a “collar” ceremony where the slave’s commitment is reinforced, and “free will” is given up.

The facial expression, and most of the wording, is describing that mindset that is often defined as “subspace”. I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on that, and you can Google it for much better definitions. The preface to “The Story of O” was called “Happiness in Slavery” and I think that term fits this caption perfectly. (I realize that Trent Reznor used that title in a song, but his lyrics were about how he was treated artistically by his record label.) Jenniger is pictured at a moment when the build up is overwhelming, and the “treat” she is about to receive is a personal and mental climax to all the training Jeremy had endured. I guess that you could whip up an explanation that “Jeremy” is all the pain and suffering to be released, and “Jennifer” is the manifestation of salvation. I would say that probably sounds too pompous and is possibly reading too much into a caption that took me about 15 minutes to make.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: (1) Who is your favorite all-time sex symbol? Someone from more of the past, or someone current? For me, it would have to be Mae West. Body designed by the angels, and everything else was created by the most delicious devils ever. (2) How did you see the caption before reading my little commentary? Did what I have to say change your opinion of it, and if so, in what ways? This could help me in how I frame future discussions, (3) Discuss anything else I talked about and your feelings on it.

Friday, January 21, 2011

One of the things that tie together many of my TG Captioneer friends is the love of silly captions. Not every caption needs to be perverted, kinky, or salacious in its plot and details. Sometimes, I would rather see some fun word play, puns, or ridiculous pictures. Someone sent me this odd pic I believe, and said that I should be able to make use of it. It is nice to be known for being strange, as eccentric people are given more leeway in society. Hell, I've made TWO TG captions involving octopi and squid, which the requester posted figuring no one would use them. I like challenges, and even if I am stumped, I will attack it with childish glee.

This is a basic caption in that the picture completely drives the story, and is set up by the standard teenage male jokes about words with a dirty meaning and a clean one as well. Is it juvenile and better left unsaid? OF COURSE! That is the whole point in this caption. I think that it both confirms to the conventions of a TG caption AND also mocks it.I wouldn't give this caption to just anyone though, and since Courtney's persona is one of an innocent person that loves cookies, bunnies, and Hello Kitty, it is entirely appropriate for her.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Do you have preconceived notions of what a caption will be before reading it, based on who its by, or the title and/or pictures? Are you disappointed if you were expecting something spank-worthy and ended up with the Captioneer giving you a rim-shot instead of a rim-job? What expectations do you bring into reading TG captions? When giving comments, let me know what type of caption you'd like to see next and I'll see what I can dig up for a discussion.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

This is a tiny caption I made for a Haven contest, where the entry had to be of a motivational poster style. I figured I would post it so that people would see something if they were viewing my link in another persons blog list. I think I might try to do that for every blog post I do, even if it doesn't relate to what I am talking about at the time.

Well, as some people know, I haven't had a voice for over a month now. Every year or two I get this issue. I think it is related to the massive amount of post-nasal drip I get. All the coughing and draining leads to strained vocal chords. It sucks, but hopefully I will be able to figure something out at some point in the near future.

Anyway, since I have a new "Smart Phone" with Android Marketplace, I decided to snap up a text-to-speech app, so that when I'm at a fast food place, or someplace I need to be heard ... I can at least communicate on some level. How does this relate to a TG situation? Well, the app is free, but I believe you have to pay for any voice that isn't the default. The default? Definitely a woman's voice, and the clearest way to hear the voice is to have it be a bit high-pitched like a teenage girl! Eesh!

The family finds it amusing. I think I'll be purchasing another voice for it very soon, hopefully one that makes me sound like Barry White. In the meantime, it is hard to resist typing in things like, "Omigod! Like totally those jeans are SOOOOO you!"

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Any ideas for other "apps" that would be fun to see in a caption? Of course, I am thinking more in a theoretical way, like the Spells R Us app, or something like that. Give it a whirl people, I am probably about 2 weeks away from 200k page views!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Recently I offered a 2 for 1 deal on the Haven. If someone used a picture in my folder, I would return 2 captions back to them, with one being a special one. I was trying an experiment where I wanted to use the same picture as many times as possible, and tell a different story each time. I figured that people would have enough variations in their preferences that I could do so, depending on my creativity. Luckily, I only had 5 takers on the deal, as I'm not sure I could have created 6 with the same picture.

This one is my favorite I think. It was also the LAST one I created. I saw that she liked bodyswaps, and wasn't really a fan of forced changes, so that really helped shape the caption I wanted to create. I figured, the document must be some sort of contract. What if BOTH people thought that the bodyswap contract was heavily slanted in their favor, and that their end of the bargain was a great deal? It's a win-win situation! Yay for a happy caption for once!

The next one was made for Dave. He likes captions where his wife punishes him, making him feminine and trapped in bad situations. I did his caption first because I feel like I have a good grasp of his preferences, and making it would give me that initial SHOT in the arm to get momentum going. I think this one seemed to be the most popular. For me, it is nowhere near my best, or my worst. I think its mostly just another Dee caption for Dave. He loved it though, so in that way, it was very successful.

Ashley's preferences are pretty vague. I seemed to get a teacher vibe from her, and I'm not sure why per se, but I liked the idea of a person of authority having to deal with all the rules they put into place, and have to succeed against a stacked deck that they themselves have created. I would like to think that in the end, Ashley went back to being Rob, but just a bit wiser. Call it my Willy Wonka ending if you want LOL

Brandon recently posted a 2 for 1 that dealt with some themes he wanted to explore. I took some inspiration from that, and twisted it so that his change was COMPLETELY accidental. Other than being a curious boy, there was no maliciousness on his part. The thought "pay for the sins of the father" really came to me while writing it. Even though Brandon liked it, I don't think it was entirely successful, as Brandon is one that really likes the details, and there just wasn't room to describe the changes taking place. He's big on "and his socked turned translucent and slowly made their way up his legs, becoming lace-topped nylons." I didn't follow that form here, but tried hard to make the other return caption for him more within that realm.

Last is the caption for Martha. This might be my second favorite caption of the five. To me, it is the most "Dee" like caption. Its got some word play, a bit of mischief, and something I like to call, "Sad Bugle Sound from Price is Right" where it goes from WINNING to LOSING at the drop of a hat. Alas, Martha didn't quite get the caption, which is where I came up with the idea of making the caption, in that she doesn't always get my references. I don't think my captions travel well across borders and language barriers, and it can be problematic. What is weirder, is that a few others didn't quite get it either, or they were trying to confuse Martha, which is also a possibility. Because of the confusion, I must take the blame for not totally putting my ideas across. Live and learn!

Overall, I am quite happy with this little exercise in my captioning capabilities. I didn't embarrass myself, and everyone seemed to enjoy the caption they received. Will I do this again? Maybe, though I'll probably put another little spin on it, just to keep it fresh.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Which one did you like the best? Were the stories varied enough where I didn't reuse ideas or retread plots. How would you fair in trying something like this? I am definitely curious to find out what people think!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Got this text about an hour ago while at work, from my daughter at school, who has a school concert tonight. She's in both Orchestra, Band, and Chorus so she is going to be busy tonight and wants to look her best.

Her: Can yu buy and drop off nylons for me?Me: I might .. what color and size?Her:Size A and like nude or black

So now Daddy has to go to store and pick out some pantyhose. Oh the situations that could ensue in a TG caption! Off the top of my head, you could get the following:

Dealing with the female sales clerk ... "sure mister, you are looking for pantyhose for your 'daughter' I've dealt with guys like you before, and aren't you dreaming a bit to think you are a Size A?" Is she a witch? A dominatrix? A feminized man?

Perhaps after buying the pantyhose, walking through the mall, gets teased for the bag (Victoria's Secret? Lingerie Store?) or I end up buying the pantyhose at a mall store with an old man in a bathrobe behind the counter?

Is my daughter part of a coven? Would it lead me somehow to becoming her mom or sister?

Sometimes, real life can give you such great ideas for captions if you just stop to think about it.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: I'd love to hear some other suggestions for a story based off this text. Let your imagination run wild. Don't worry about choosing a picture. I want to see some awesome ideas/story lines. Flesh it out as much as you like. Perhaps I can post an exclusive (to this blog) caption based off some of your suggestions. If you'd like to post a caption based off this as well, GO FOR IT!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Wanted to go back a bit for a caption from 2009. I know a few friends of mine are having writer's block issues, and I wanted to show what I do when I have trouble coming up with captions.

This caption is absolutely nothing revolutionary at all. Relatively attractive model with great legs, in a pose that leads to both the title and the last line in the story. The person requesting this wanted Ashley somehow in on the transformation if I remember correctly, so I made her the other person in the conversation. Even the mental "trap" has been done before I think, with "A" event leading to "B" event which makes "A" happen again, in an endless loop. Catch 22's are great TG plot devices!

The main reason I am posting this caption is to show that its often hard to reinvent the wheel. I am pretty sure that I will at some point create a caption that is probably a rehash of this one, or at least uses this as a common ancestor. The names will be changed, and I'm sure the plot point would be different, perhaps the "trap" will focus on something else, or I'll have a really good stinger to end the caption. The main point is that I don't think its a big deal to do this. Each caption will still be judged on its own merit, and not how "original" it necessarily is.

Or looking at this old caption might lead me in a whole different direction..When I looked at this caption while thinking about making a new post here, I thought "hmmm, if I did this one over, I'd probably focus more on the red toe nails poking through sandals. Perhaps I've got a picture that is like this, that has cute toes and a pose in the same style. From there, I can see that the sissy was sent to an elite school, perhaps the mom knew about the curriculum, or maybe she didn't. She's extremely nervous about seeing her mom for the 1st time (homecoming?) and hoping mom will take her home and end this feminization. Even though she's dressed like a girl, its her painted toes that is most embarrassing to her, especially since SHE is the one that did them, on her own initiative! If mom found out, she'd be SOOO embarrassed! Even more if mom found out that one of teachers had found her with her legs wrapped around a girl's (or boy's) neck. She feels a stirring in her panties when thinking about that boy/girl between her legs as she pictures those painted toes of hers, encased in heels, up in the air around her lover's neck.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Is there really anything wrong with recycling plots you've used before? Is it really the same caption, if you vary the points of view, type of transformation, timing, protagonists, and other things? Did the new scenario I just wrote up above give you a warm, gushy feeling somewhere down below?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

My name in real life isn't Caitlyn. In all honesty my real life name isn't Calvin either, although Calvin IS my middle name. While it isn't my real name, Calvin does represent me as I see myself. He is as close to me as you can get online.

Caitlyn isn't me, but she is a part of me. Before I came to the Haven, she was always there, but she wasn't well defined, or even named. She was just the feminine part of me.

..

So while Caitlyn will forever be a part of me, she is getting her own voice. A voice that is separate from mine. And before anyone gets concerned, I don't believe this is any type of personality disorder (although I am not a trained psychologist or psychotherapist, so I really wouldn't know). I am fully aware of Caitlyn, and accept that Caitlyn is a part of me. The same is true when I am Caitlyn... she is aware of me, and accepts that she is only a part of me.

Do other people feel this way? Is Dee separate from Damien, or are you truly Dee?

I edited it down a bit from the complete posting, which you can see in the Open Thread discussion in the “Even Bimbos Can Use These!” comment section. I mostly edited because of space issues, not because of lack of interesting discussion. In fact, please read her entire comment first, then come back here and read what I have to say.

There is a reason why I have both Dee and Dee Dee listed in my preferences, as well as Dementia, in addition to Damien. I will quickly break them down as follows:

Dee is pretty much the female version of Damien. Usually in chat, in comments, and any other sort of correspondence I do .. it is Dee that you are talking to. Dee is probably a bit more pleasant than Damien, especially now that I am an admin at the Haven, but what you see is what you get.

Dee Dee is the “bimbo submissive” type that was invented mostly for captions to start. I enjoy reading bimbo type captions, but it was a bit jarring to see the name Dee attached to them, since as you’ve seen above … Dee = female Damien. Separating the two was good because it can be a fantasy thing. Since the time when I created her, I can occasionally find myself in the Deedee mindset, but usually it takes either heavy sedation or intense stress to make that side come out. Sometimes I can do it with my imagination, but it is quite hard to do.

Dementia is more for when I am in Mistress mode, and when creating certain captions for others. Damien and Dee tend to view people as equals, and even though I am often in control, I don’t tend to hold it over people. Dementia however, can be as cruel as needed, and once again, it is more of a character designed to keep Dee and Damien as close to myself as possible. There is quite a bit of me *IN* Dementia, but I wouldn’t want to fuck with her. She is Dee in bitch mode, with an attitude, though protective of her little ones under her control. She's such a good character, that its enjoyable to see captioneers use me when they make captions for others.

Long story still longish .. All of the personas are me, but only Damien and Dee truly approximate who I am in real life. Of course there are overlaps, and I have used Dee instead of Dementia, and in captions that people make for me, sometimes I am called Dee when probably Deedee should've been used, but it isn't as big a deal to me as it used to be.

If any of what I've said here needs clarification, or if I missed something, let me know and I'll certainly follow up in the comments.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: How much of the real you is in your persona? Do you have multiple personas and how do you reconcile them? If you wish to respond to Caitlyn, post in the open discussion listed above. Respond to my stuff here in this posting.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Well, you are supposed to look back and look forward when the New Year comes around.

From the looking back part, here is a small series I made for a Haven contest in May 2008. I had been captioning for about 3 months or so I think at that point. I hadn't even gotten my official font yet, but it looks like I was starting to evolve back then to a path I am still on now. Back then, I was doing much more with sets of pictures and trying make actual stories with them. For me, it was time consuming, and not only that, my ADD would kick in and I'd just sort of drift off. This caption set is definitely from when I was learning how to make captions. I am not ashamed of it, but I think I started to hit my stride as a Captioneer later on that year as I got more comfortable letting the real Dee come out and play with others. I've also decided that I am not going to "Lucas" any of my old captions if I can help it. Han will always shoot first in my world!

Now over a thousand panels on, I think I've solidified exactly what I do into what I like to call "The Dee Aesthetic" that pretty much identifies any caption I make relatively distinctive to me. However, I can and will evolve more if I think I can. At this point though, it seems only like baby steps on that path. This year, I think I might try to look at some of my favorite captioners and see what drew me into their work, and if somehow I can reflect that more in my future work. It'd also be fun to find a few new people I haven't been exposed to that would just KNOCK my stockings off!

DISCUSSION QUESTION: With the new year upon us, is there anything new you wanted to try doing in the TG realm? Does looking at your old work ever spark something to try in your latest pieces? Have you ever thought about going back and redoing some of your earliest work to make it better?

Dee-constructing Dee

Admin / Guardian Dee-mon at Rachel's Haven.
Fruit wrangler for Carmen Miranda.
Stealer of Rachel's shoes.
Affectionally known as "The Bat".
Lover of razor sharp wit and the absurd.
Commenter on many other TG blogs.
Connoisseur of Pop Culture.